Kavanaugh
support slips as public believes accuserVoters, already lukewarm on Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme
Court, have now turned decidedly against him as his confirmation drags
on amid allegations of an alleged attempted sexual assault three decades
ago. A Fox News poll released Sunday found 50 percent of voters, if they
had a direct say, would vote against confirming him to the high court,
while just 40 percent would back him. That works out to a 10-percentage
point deficit, down 9 points since the previous Fox poll in August. That
tracks with other polling that shows the judges support slipping among
the public  though its not yet clear it will derail his confirmation.
Washington
TimesVOA VIEW: Wrong, wishful left-wing thinking.

Mike
Pompeo blasts Russia: 'They have not proven helpful' anywhere in the worldRussia has worked against U.S. interests in Ukraine, Syria, and in
other hot spots across the globe, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in
a blistering takedown of Moscow that comes on the eve of a key United Nations
summit in New York City. In an interview with NBCs Meet the Press that
airs Sunday morning, Mr. Pompeo said the Trump administration so far has
not been successful in pushing back against many of Russias destabilizing
actions around the world. Russia is backing dictator Bashar Assads forces
in Syria, forcibly annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine, and has taken
a host of other steps that are in direct opposition to U.S. foreign policy
interests. Washington Tiems

Iran's
Rouhani: 'Bullying' U.S. wants to cause insecurity in nationIranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday blamed "bullying" United
States and its Gulf states allies for terrorists' attacks one day earlier
on a military parade in Ahvaz in southwest Iran. "It is entirely clear
to us who did it, who they are and where they are affiliated to," he said
in Tehran before leaving to attend the 73rd United Nations General Assembly
in New York. "The sponsor of all these small mercenary countries in the
region is America." UPIVOA VIEW: Iran is making stupid remarks.

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Top
Democrat cites Kavanaugh's 'outcome-driven' legal philosophy as reason
to deny him due processSen. Mazie Hirono on Sunday suggested that Supreme Court nominee Brett
Kavanaugh's "outcome-driven" conservative judicial philosophy directly
undermines the redibility of his denials that he sexually assaulted California
professor Christine Ford at a house party more than three decades ago.
Speaking to CNN's "State of the Union," Hirono, D-Hawaii, called for an
independent FBI investigation of Ford's claims, before explaining why the
presumption of innocence and due process should not apply to Kavanaugh's
case. "I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about
him in terms of how he approaches his cases," Hirono told host Jake Tapper,
in response to a question about whether Kavanaugh was entitled to a presumption
of innocence. "His credibility is already very questionable in my mind.
... When I say that he's very outcome-driven, he has an ideological
agenda, and I can sit here and talk to you about some of the cases that
exemplify his, in my view, inability to be fair." Fox

Nikki
Haley: reports of discussions about removing Trump are 'absurd'Top Trump officials were again forced to deny
the existence of plots to remove the president, two days after reports
said the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, discussed recording conversations
with Trump and invoking the 25th amendment. The 25th amendment provides
for the removal of a president deemed unfit for office. This month, an
op ed in the New York Times by an anonymous senior official said the
amendment had been discussed within the administration. A book by Watergate
reporter Bob Woodward detailed efforts by former staff members to stymie
Trump on controversial or notionally dangerous policies. GuardianVOA VIEW: Liberal fake news.

Nearly
$18m in cocaine found in boxes of bananas donated to Texas prisonAuthorities in Texas said bananas donated to a prison in the state
turned out to have nearly $18m worth of cocaine hidden inside their boxes.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (DCJ) outlined the find in a surprisingly
jaunty Facebook post which began: Sometimes, life gives you lemons. Sometimes,
it gives you bananas. And sometimes, it gives you something youd never
expect! The two pallets of bananas were donated because they were already
ripe, the DCJ said, and arrived on Friday from Ports of America in Freeport.
One of the boxes felt different than the others, the DCJ said. Guardian

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Amid-furor-Trump-pushes-pause-on-decidingAs Air Force One streaked across the desert sky and Las Vegas faded
in the distance, President Donald Trump began seeking opinions. The TVs
on the plane, tuned as always to Fox News, carried headlines about an explosive
new story: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had suggested wearing
a wire to secretly record Trump, and raised the idea of using the 25th
Amendment to remove the president from office. On the flights both to and
from a Missouri rally, Trump polled staff on the plane, called his outside
network of advisers and kept a careful eye on what his favorite hosts on
his favorite network were recommending. Houston Chronicle

Beto-Cruz
debate: In this knife fight, Cruz drew more bloodIf the first debate between GOP Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger
Beto O'Rourke was a knife fight, neither candidate emerged unscathed. While
Cruz ended the night with a backhanded compliment branding O'Rourke as
a tireless advocate of "socialism," the Democrat got in the dismissive
last words on Cruz's heavy-handed attack: "True to form."But Friday night's
bout in Dallas, the first of three, provided no big gaffes of the sort
that define debates or obvious "home runs" that might linger throughout
the remainder of the Texas U.S. Senate race. It also served to delineate
useful differences that both candidates will be able to take to voters.
Houston Chronicle

The
Latest on the aftermath of Hurricane FlorenceForecasters say Subtropical Storm Leslie has formed in the north Atlantic,
far from land. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday morning
that Leslie is expected to be short-lived. Leslie is about 1,145 miles
(1,840 kilometers) west-southwest of the Azores and has winds of 40 mph
(65 kph). The storm is moving 3 mph (5 kph), and little motion is expected
in the next two days. Farther southeast, Tropical Storm Kirk is moving
quickly west across the eastern Atlantic and is expected to pick up speed
in the next few days. Forecasters say Kirk is about 545 miles (875 kilometers)
southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The storm has maximum sustained winds
of 40 mph (65 kph) and is moving west at 21 mph (34 kph). Forecasters think
the storm will move even faster though Tuesday. Las
Vegas Sun

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Pompeo
threatens military force over Syrian chemical weaponsSecretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said the US wouldnt hesitate
to hold the source of the bad behavior accountable if Syria uses chemical
weapons again  and wouldnt rule out the use of military force. Well
have to analyze once the activity takes place. We pray that it doesnt,
Pompeo said on NBCs Meet the Press. But well do our intelligence,
our forensics. Well do our hard work. And we will hold accountable those
that are responsible for violating this fundamental principle, this idea
that chemical weapons are fundamentally different than other types of weapon
systems. NBC anchor Chuck Todd asked whether Russia or Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad is to blame. New York PostVOA VIEW: Syria is looking for major trouble.

Ex-Trump
staffer accused of slipping abortion pill into girlfriends smoothieA former Trump campaign spokesperson was accused
of slipping an abortion pill into his pregnant girlfriends smoothie 
sending her to the hospital and nearly causing her to go into a coma, according
to court documents. Jason Miller  who served on President Trumps 2016
campaign and transition team  announced he was quitting his role as CNN
political commentator Saturday to focus on clearing [his] name and fighting
the accusations detailed in recent court documents. The explosive court
filings, first reported by Splinter News, allege that prior to Millers
high-profile extramarital relationship with A.J. Delgado  another Trump
campaign staffer  he had an affair with an unnamed woman he met at Rachels
Gentlemans Club, an Orlando strip club. New
York Post

New
Jersey sheriff steps down after uproar over racist remarksThe sheriff of New Jersey's most populous county
has resigned after an outcry over racist remarks he made about black people
and the state's attorney general, who is a Sikh. Bergen County Michael
Saudino and four undersheriffs resigned Friday. Gov. Phil Murphy said he
will be choosing an interim sheriff for the northern New Jersey county
of nearly 1 million residents. The furor erupted this week after radio
station WNYC posted audio clips of the sheriff's remarks from a January
discussion following Murphy's inauguration. The station said it obtained
a secret recording of the remarks. Sound bites are on the station's website,
and local media, including CNN affiliates WABC and WCBS, have widely reported
on the story. CNN

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Nikki
Haley says sexual harassment accusers shouldn't be blamed or second-guessedUS Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Sunday that as
a general principle, people should avoid blaming or second-guessing sexual
harassment accusers. "The message I'm comfortable with is that accusers
go through a lot of trauma and some handle it one way and some handle it
the other way," Haley told CNN's "State of the Union" anchor Jake Tapper.
"Regardless, you never -- it's not something that we want to do, to blame
the accuser or to try and second guess the accuser. We don't know the situation
she was going through 35 years ago. We don't know the circumstances." Haley
added that "every accuser always deserves the right to be heard, but at
the same time, the accused deserves the right to be heard." The ambassador's
comments come two days after President Donald Trump deviated from his previously
measured comments about a sexual assault allegation recently levied against
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford. CNN

The
most dangerous cities in America, rankedIn 2016, the U.S. saw a 3.4 percent uptick in violent crime compared
with the previous year, the FBI reported, although overall it remains near
historic lows. There were about 386 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
in 2016, according to the FBI, which classifies murder, non-negligent manslaughter,
rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as violent crimes. These are the
U.S. cities with the highest rates of violent crime in 2016, the most recent
year available from the FBI. CBS

Bill
targets 'Kushner loophole' allowing false filingsA New York City councilman plans to introduce a bill to close the "Kushner
loophole" that fails to check up on landlords if they file false documents
with the city. The move follows an Associated Press report earlier this
year that Jared Kushner's family real estate company filed dozens of false
documents with the city claiming it had no rent-regulated tenants in many
of its buildings. That allowed it to avoid strict oversight of construction
that critics say was used to drive out low-paying tenants. Councilman Ritchie
Torres says his bill would require the city's buildings department to check
with tax records to validate such claims. If any false submission is discovered,
the landlord's entire portfolio of buildings would be subject to an audit.
ABC

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Libya
has lurched from one emergency to another, high-level UN official tells
Security CouncilThe UN Special Representative pointed to the
violence in the capital, Tripoli, that began on 26 August as shattering
the façade of calm that had prevailed since May 2017, relaying
that tanks and heavy artillery were deployed into residential neighborhoods,
leaving 61 Libyans dead and injuring nearly 160. Many of those who died
were civilians, including children. Families were forced to flee their
homes. Looting and crime became common place as gangs took to the streets.
Hundreds of criminals broke out of prison. Migrants were either trapped
in detention centres, or turned onto the street, he detailed. Against
the backdrop that the city was on the brink of all-out war, he said that
on 4 September, UNSMIL brokered a ceasefire between the major parties to
the conflict, halting the fighting and restoring some order.UN

Puerto
Rico: The exodus after Hurricane MariaIn the year since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, the island has
suffered many losses: homes and livelihoods, electricity and clean water,
and tragically, nearly 3,000 lives. But even as the rebuilding effort goes
on, another type of loss is taking a growing toll: the loss of some 200,000
residents who've left the island in search of a better life elsewhere.
Without these business owners, skilled workers, doctors, teachers, church
members, parents and children, Puerto Rico's future looks even more precarious.
Damarys Perales and her 10-year-old daughter Alahia are reluctantly joining
the exodus. "It hurts me to leave like this," Damarys told CBS News correspondent
David Begnaud, who's been covering the impact since the storm hit. But
she adds, "I need the change. We need the change." CNSVOA VIEW: PR is its own worst enemy.

Brett
Kavanaugh, Trump's court nominee, faces new sex allegationA second woman has come forward with allegations
of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump's US Supreme Court
nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Deborah Ramirez, a Yale university classmate of
the judge, told the New Yorker that Mr Kavanaugh had exposed his genitals
at a dormitory party. The judge has denied both allegations, labelling
the latest "a smear". The make-up of the nine-judge Supreme Court is crucial,
as it has the final say on often highly contentious laws. Before Mr Kavanaugh
can take up the vacant seat, he has to be approved by the 21-strong Senate
Judiciary Committee and then the whole Senate. BBC

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UN chief condemns
attack in south-west Iran which killed dozensAccording to media reports, the attack targeted a military parade,
with terrorists shooting from a long distance at the armed forces parading
as well as the civilians watching the event. Mr. Guterres expressed his
condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people
of Iran. He wished those injured a speedy recovery. UN

UN
chief alarmed by violations of UN-backed ceasefire in LibyaViolence escalated in the city in August, with rival militias fighting
and with tanks and heavy artillery deployed into residential neighborhoods.
News reports indicate that, to date, over 100 Libyans have been killed
in the violence and dozens more injured. The Secretary-General extended
his condolences to those who have lost loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery
to those injured as a result of the continuing violence. In addition,
according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA), hundreds have been displaced by these recent clashes. Tripoli has
been at the center of Libya's seven-year conflict, following an uprising
that led to the overthrowing and killing of President Muammar Gaddafi in
2011. On 4 September, a ceasefire agreement was signed by the armed groups
in Tripoli under the auspices of UN Special Representative, Ghassan Salamé,
and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). UN

China
Says It Wont Hold Trade Talks Unless Trump Stops ThreatsChina dashed prospects for a near-term resolution to the trade war
with the U.S., warning President Donald Trump his threats of further tariffs
are blocking any potential negotiations. The response, which came just
over an hour after the U.S. imposed new duties on $200 billion in Chinese
goods on Monday, underscores a deepening gulf between both governments
in a dispute that observers say is less about a row over a bilateral goods
deficit and increasingly about a U.S. desire to put the brakes on Chinas
economic ascent. Trump has repeatedly threatened higher tariffs on the
remaining Chinese imports should Beijing retaliate against Mondays round.
As China has said that step is certain, the stage appears set for yet another
escalation of the trade war. China canceled talks that were scheduled for
this week, and is digging in by prepping stimulus measures to cushion the
economy. BloombertVOA VIEW: China is playing for Midterms
which they will change big time if Republicans win.

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